To
hear Ophira Edut tell it, her website "Jewgirl:
Tales of a Babe in Goyland" grew out of a cultural
deprivation. In 1998, the [Israeli-American], Detroit-bred
writer and editor found herself agreeing to a job which required
a 6-month stint in Duluth, Minn.

"I
saw it as a social experiment," the 26-year-old Ms. Edut
told the Forward, "I was one of the only Jews in Duluth.
It was the last place on earth someone would expect me to
be." Last fall, she launched "Tales of a Babe in
Goyland" as a way to maintain her sanity and identity.

"I'm
a SuperSemite. A desert diva...Raised in Motown like a gefilte
fish out of water," declares Ms. Edut on her web site.
"This is the only place I've ever been where all the
brunettes have blond roots and the Irish people are considered
'ethnic.'" Ms. Edut, who is also the editor of the anthology
"Adios, Barbie: Young Women Write About Body Image and
Identity" (Seal Press), goes on to write: "I'm a
loud, combative five-foot-two Jewess whose roots tend toward
the darker side. To say I don't quite fit here is an understatement.
Can I survive this exile?"

Her
decidedly personal web site chronicles her "exile,"
with features such as the "unofficial Duluth-to-Jewish
dictionary, "Goyz in the Hood," and testimonies
from other "former Duluth Jews."

It
might not have always been pleasant--the "food in Duluth
was really bland," she said--but Ms. Edut managed to
survive. She moved to New York City a year ago; and despite
this newfound proximity to more than a million Jews, the web
site continues, albeit with a broader focus. Recent pieces
include "Tales of an Israeli Landscaper's Daughter,"
in which Ms. Edut rails against stereotypes--"Excuse
me, but since when did my bank account become the divine yardstick
of my Jewishness?"

In
these times of dot-com mania, it is only fitting that what
was once a hobby for Ms. Edut has now become her principal
source of support. She is currently developing a large interactive
web site aimed at young women called Womanhood.com, of which
"Babe in Goyland" will be one part. The web site
will be released in March. "It began as a diary,"
Ms. Edut said, "now it's being expanded into a community."

While
her time in Minnesota proved instructive, Ms. Edut views her
move to Manhattan with relief. "I was considered loud
in Duluth, but here, people are always asking me to speak
up," she said. (Ellen Umansky)